1.This Act may be cited as
the Keeping Families Safe Act of
2008
.
2.Congress makes the following
findings:
(1)The 2001 report
by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Pregnant and
Postpartum Women and Their Infants Program, which provides comprehensive,
family-based treatment for substance abusing mothers and their children, found
that at 6 months post treatment—
(A)60 percent of the
mothers remained alcohol and drug-free;
(B)drug-related
offenses declined from 28 percent to 7 percent; and
(C)75 percent of the
mothers had physical custody of 1 or more children.
(2)The 2003
evaluation of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Pregnant
and Postpartum Women and Their Infants Program of 24 residential family-based
treatment programs 6 months after treatment revealed the following successful
outcomes for mothers and their children:
(A)60 percent of the
mothers in the programs remained completely clean and sober 6 months after
discharge.
(B)44 percent of the
children in the programs were returned to their mothers from foster
care.
(C)88 percent of the
children treated in the programs with their mothers remained stabilized and
living with their mothers, 6 months after discharge.
(3)The Center for
Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Their
Infants Program has found that rates of premature delivery, low birth weight,
and infant mortality were improved for women who participated in the program,
the costs of treating such women were offset by as much as 3 to 4 times the
savings that resulted from reduced costs of crime, foster care, and Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) assistance, and adverse birth
outcomes.
3.Authority for
States to make foster care maintenance payments to residential family treatment
centers
(a)
(1)Section 472 of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 672) is amended—
(A)in subsection (b)(2)—
(i)by
inserting or a residential family treatment center
after
child-care institution
; and
(ii)by
inserting or residential family treatment center
after
such institution
; and
(B)in subsection
(c)—
(i)by
striking and
before (2)
; and
(ii)by
inserting before the period at the end the following: ; and (3) the term
residential family treatment center means a State licensed program
that enables parents and their children to live in a safe environment for a
period of not less than 6 months and provides, on-site or by referral,
substance abuse treatment services, children's early intervention services,
family counseling, legal services, medical care, mental health services,
nursery and preschool, parenting skills training, pediatric care, prenatal
care, sexual abuse therapy, relapse prevention, transportation, and job or
vocational training or classes leading to a secondary school diploma or a
certificate of general equivalence
.
(2)The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on
October 1, 2008, without regard to whether regulations implementing such
amendments are promulgated by such date.
(b)The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, by
grant, contract, or interagency agreement, evaluate the foster care maintenance
payments made under section 472(b)(2) of the Social Security Act on behalf of a
child who is in a residential family treatment center (as amended by subsection
(a)(1)(A)) and, not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act,
shall submit a report to Congress on the results of such evaluation that
includes an analysis of the outcomes for the children in foster care on whose
behalf such payments are made.